‘Helpers’ Emerge from the Government Shutdown

Second Helpings, a community kitchen in Greater Indianapolis, provides free lunch to TSA workers in the local area.

It was Mr. Rogers who so beautifully said, “When I was a boy
and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for
the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” Rarely since 9/11
have our military families not seen something scary in the news: a helicopter
crash, a convoy hits an IED, another firefight in a far off land … the threats
that face our service members are innumerable, and the worries that consume our
families are real. And yet now, a new worry was thrust upon our Coast Guard
families: how to feed their children and pay their bills in the wake of the
government shutdown.

A quick search of #ShutdownStories on social media will
bring the struggles to the front of your screen. A USCG spouse whose mother in
Alaska saw her on the news in Connecticut at a food pantry, too embarrassed to
ask her parents for financial help. Homeowners, trying to sell furniture on Craigslist
in order to make their mortgage payment. Thread after thread of ways to scrimp
and save, tips for making extra cash, and posts like “breakfast for dinner
again – it’s all we can afford.”

The stories are heartbreaking and the stress of financial insecurity and uncertainty is palatable. We feel the deep empathy as we know it’s only a designation that separates the Coast Guard from the other military services. We, too, waited with bated breath to see if we would get funding. We are separated only by a difference in a reporting structure, but our ethos, our dedication to service, our sacrifices remain the same. Yet, they are now over 30 days into working without being paid. It just doesn’t seem fair.

And so, we must look for the helpers.

A young boy named Ravi begged his mom to allow him to distribute food through the #ChefsForFeds counter. Image courtesy of World Central Kitchen.

Across the country, businesses, individuals and entire
communities have encircled our Coast Guard families to let them know that they
are not forgotten. While faith in our government might be tested, the countless
offers of help, assistance and kindness will certain bolster your faith in
humanity. Here are five of our favorite “Shutdown Stories:

The #BeTheLight Food Pantry

In Oregon, the MOMS Club of Astoria, Boy
Scouts of America Troop 211 of Astoria and local military spouses pooled
resources to open a “pop up” pantry for USCG members and federal furloughed
employees. Coordinator Stacey Ayers Benson shared, “Over the weekend, we had
503 families come through the door totaling 1,372 individual people helped. We
still have donations rolling in, in the form of gift cards and food donations.
Our doors will be open again this weekend to serve everyone again. We will
continue to serve our community until the shutdown ends or we run out of food.”
If you’re interested in donating, you can do so,
here.

Food donations at the pantry continued to grow.

Great Harvest Bread Co.

Known for their phenomenal baked goods, we can also add a giving spirit to the reputation of the Great Harvest Bread Co. From their Facebook page: “Feeling emotional about the stories of federal employees on furlough or working without pay during the government shutdown, Sarah Butch, a Great Harvest franchisee in Lawrence, Kan., decided to do something to give back to her community. She set up a ‘Shutdown Shelf’ in her bakery, offering free bread to federal workers and contractors in need. Since then, Great Harvest Bread locations across the country have jumped in and set up Shutdown Shelves in their own bakeries. Now, more than 30 locations nationwide are offering free bread to federal employees impacted by the partial government shutdown.”

Photo courtesy of Facebook

Kayla Roof

“My specialty lies in helping businesses grow with easy to implement marketing and systems,” she explained. “If there’s a way I can help a Coast Guard business owner get a boost in sales during this shutdown, I’m going to do it.”

Kayla took to Facebook with an incredible offer: “Coast Guard families that woke up without a paycheck this morning …” she wrote on January 15, “I see you. Sending love and hugs to you right now… but I know that doesn’t pay the bills. So … I’d like to offer any Coast Guard spouses a free consult if you need ideas for how you can generate cash flow for your business this month. I’m here for you. I can’t control what the government does but we can control the income we make in our own businesses. That’s the amazing part of being an entrepreneur.”

Canadian Air Traffic Controllers

We love this
story from CNN about how “Canadian air traffic controllers have been
sending more than just radio signals across the border … they ordered
hundreds of pizzas for the American counterparts working without pay due to the
shutdown.”

US facilities send messages of gratitude to members of the Canadian Air Traffic Controllers Association. Image courtesy of CATCA.

When Coast Guard spouse Tamy Medalis learned that her husband overheard junior CG members talking about how they were going to have to extend themselves on credit, she knew she needed to do something.

“We only requested items for 24 hours,” she said. “But in that time we collected a carload and over $1500 in gift cards. People have really been very supportive and we look to collect again and again to help, until this mess is over.”

From the
sixth grade Navy “brat” who set up a GoFundMe account to help USCG
families, bookstores offering free books to furloughed employees until they can
pay it back, to countless restaurants around the country providing free meals
and even “Pay it
Furloughed,” a crowdfunding site that allows you to buy a beer for a
furloughed employee, it only takes a little looking to find light in this
darkness. We know these are scary, uncertain times. Keep looking for – and keep
being – the helpers.

T. T. Robinson is a freelance writer, editor and speaker. She is the founder of Humans on the Homefront and author of the New York Times Deployment Diary. Her work has been featured in the Washington Post, We Are The Mighty, Military.com and several other outlets. She is a graduate of Harvard’s Leadership in Crises Executive Education program, something that has proved super helpful as the mother of two young children.